Your intuitive voice can help you become a better officer

Working as a police officer, you’re trained to think (and act) fast. It’s not like a 9-5 job. You can’t plan your day. The public might need you at 6.00am or 11.45pm. This is the nature of police work. You have to be on the ball, all the time. The community needs you to be.

Before entering the force, you undergo intense physical training. But there’s one area of health that’s talked about less, but equally important. That’s mental health, and in particular, self-awareness.

As an officer, you can’t be indecisive. The decision you make can be a matter of life or death. Now, you don’t always have the luxury of time to sit and make a list of pros and cons. Not every decision will be made with complete clarity. But, listening to your gut and letting your body guide the decision making will help you do this.

Your body knows what to do

There’s evidence that humans can anticipate near-future events even without any evidence signifying the event… and apparently without realising it. It’s instinctive.

It's something we've all experienced to some degree. Like knowing the driver in the lane next to you is moving too close or when you see dark clouds and feel a storm on the horizon. But even without these sensory clues, we can ‘predict’ what will happen.

Your feelings will never lie to you

With so much noise, information and clutter, our thoughts are easily distracted.

If there’s one thing that’s never deceiving, it’s your feelings. They can’t lie to you. Feelings will tell you what you need to hear, not what you want.

Building that intuition ‘muscle’ can help bring clarity on your choices, especially in emotional, intense moments.

Here are three simple ways to do it:

Remove yourself from the situation To act objectively, you need to take a deep breath and don’t let your emotions creep into the decision-making process. If you need to repeat a mantra in your head to remind yourself, you can – something like ‘I am here to make sure everyone is safe.’

Be honest with yourself It’s easy to push feelings aside, especially if they’re the reaction we want. But, this isn’t the easy option. If something doesn’t feel right, chances are it isn’t. Acknowledge your feelings and let them guide you.

Keep a journal. Meditate every day. One of the most effective ways to tune into your intuition is through writing. It’s a form of self-expression and a great tool to help you see what you’re feeling. There’s great power in putting feelings down onto paper. It helps you to see the bigger picture and can remove blocks you’re not even aware of. Pair this with daily meditation to minimise ‘external noise’. When you’re about to make an important decision, take a moment to bring your mind back to this state. It’ll help you think clearly.

The intuitive voice will guide and support you in your police work. You just need to give it the space to be heard.

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